Conductor-support.



W. M. MORDEY,1. W. ASTLEY & D. B. SAUNDERSON.

CONDUCTOR SUPPORT.

APPLlcATloN man Dsc. 9. 1913.

PatentedSept. 14, 19l5.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. IVI. MORDEY, I. W. ASTLEY @L D. B. SAUNDERSON.

CONDUCTOR SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED 051,29. 1913.

Patented Sept. 14, 1915.

5 SHEETSSHEE`I 2.

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W. M. MORDEY, J. W. ASTLEY & D. B. SAUNDERSONI CONDUCTOR SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 9. I9I3.

l l 5 3,8 1 3 Patented Sept. 14, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

COLUMBIA PLANOR/IPH C0.. WASHINGTON. D. C

W. IVI. MORDEY, J. W.IASTLEY & D. B. SAUNDERSON.

CONDUCTOR SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FlLED DEc.9,19l3.

1,153,813. v PatentedSept. 14, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

FIG. f4.

W. M. MORDEY, J. W. ASTLEY 6L D. B. SAUNDERSON.

CONDUCTOR SUPPORT.

APPUcATloN FILED 0m91.191s.

Patented Sept. 14, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

R PM cD.,wAsHlNaToN D C orti sra; is raras erro,

VJ'ILLIAM VIORRIS MORIDEY, 0F WESTMINSTER, LGNDON, AND JOHN WILLIAM ASTLEY i AND DOUGLAS BRYCE SAUNEERSN, OF

PBESCOT, ENGLAND.

CONDUCTOR-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. i4, i915,

Application filed December 9, 1913. Serial No. 805,591.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that ive, WILLIAM MORRIS h/ionnnv, residing at S2 Victoria street, Grosvenor h ansions, Vestminster, London, in

the county 0I liiddlesex, United Kingdom'v of Great Britain, and JOHN WILLIAM AST LEY and DoUeLAs Baron SaUnDnnsoN, residing at Present, in lthe county of Lancaster, United Kingdom of Great Britain, subjects of the King of England, have invented new and useful Improvements in and Connected with Conductor-Supports, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to electrical conductors and to the mode or means for carrying them; and has special reference to conductors used to supply current to electrically propelled vehicles, wherein they are suspended from the carriers, generally called ears, above them; and it has prima rily for its object and eects to provide a conductor, and means for supporting or suspending, -which are generally advantageous in connection with such electrical Work; and especially in cases where the trolleyV Wheel or collector through which current is passed from the conductor to the vehicle motor, presses and runs on the under-surface of the conductor, such as in the case of ordinary street or road electrica-l' traction systems, having an overhead arrangement of supply conductors, Whichv are supported from point to point, in the straight, and round curves, and are iitted With frogs and crossing littings; in which case the primary object of the invention is-that the Wear on the trolleys or collectors, and upon the Wire, shall be diminished, and the conductor shall not have the tendency due to the action of the trolley on it, to turn upon its axis, especially at 'curves-With its known attendant detects; that the Wire shall remain in its normal condition or state Without such tendency; and that it shall, at the same time, offer a more complete and uniform contact surface. While a Jfurther'object is to provide a conductor and carrier, by Which the trolley or collector shall not foul the carrier or ears, even after it-the trolley*has become much Worn; and, also the conductor shall be capable of being readily and quickly itted to or connected up `With frogs, crossings, and ears, etcetera, and shall be capable of being applied to and used, in some cases in connection With the present fittings or means of suspension.

The conductor has a single groove, or a plurality of grooves close to one another, and the supporting or suspending ear or means consist of plates, bars or devices which iit into the groove or grooves and engage with the inside surfaces thereof, and are of substantially less Width than the conductor, the sides of which extend a substantial amount beyond the sides or cheeks ct the car or suspending device. The conductor in most cases is cylindrical in cross section or approximately so, and in the complete state, the invention provides such an absolutely non-fouling and readily attachable equipment br fitting that the pulley or collector, when much Worn, cannot foul the supporting means.

In this system and arrangement, the groove or grooves in suspended systems, would, when iitted, be at the upper part of the conductor.

'The mode of attachment of the conductor to the suspending means is accomplished by forming the Vconductor with a groove or grooves which is orare of different Widths at different points between the outside surtace of the conductor and the bottom or the side or sides of the groove or grooves, or one side of the groove is inclined in relation to the vertical plane, so that the suspending fitting mechanically engages With the interior part of the groove or grooves and the Wire will hang therefrom or be supported thereby. In some cases the groove or grooves is so formed, or the metal on each side of it is so shaped, that after the suspending means is introduced into the groove, the metal is pressed or forced over parts of the suspending devices.

As a modification, the groove or grooves,

upper part of the conductor inward; While so that it is supported and held along theY axis or in the horizontal plane extending through the axis, or near it. Y

Referring to the drawings Figure l is a Ydiagi-ammatic perspective view illustrating a conductor withV itssupporting inechanical Vengaging means fitted into its groove, and engaging with the internal surfaces or parts of the groove; and Figs. 2, 3, and et are side elevation, cross section, and plan respectively of this conductor, and its supporting or carrying fitting, wherein theV formjof such fitting is of the character illustrated'and set forth. with reference to Fig. l; and in Figs. 5, 6, and 7 which are side elevation, plan,andcross section respectively,

` a rmodiied construction of carrier parts complete are given. Figs. Sto l1 illustrate to an enlarged scale, the wire or conductor according to this invention, in several different modified forms. Figs. l2 to 22 show in cross section and v plan, variousV modified forms ofsuspending or carriermeans usedk in connection with the improved wire here-f' under. f

n the drawings, the wire or conductor l throughout is designated a, and the groove or grooves I); while the suspending plate device or ear is generally designated'c.

The Wires a in the cases shown in Figs. l

to'7 are of the Yforni generally of the wire Vshown to an enlarUed scale in Fi 8' in which the inner part of the groove is wider cioV than the outer part of it; and the parts of the suspender orear which fit within this groove are of corresponding form, so that the support is eected by the metal of the sides of the groove of the wire which project inward, and fit over and'engage the larger vor wider parts of the portion of the suspender whichv fits in the groove.

In the case shown in Figs. lV to 7,-,thevv groove is comparatively narrow nearest the outside portion, and from this narrow portion or neck, extends suddenly out into a curved groove; in this, as in each case, the groove is extended down near to the horizontal axis of thewire. y

With regard to the suspender or ear shown in Figs. l to l, it is made in halves, consistfY` ing of two plates; the two half plates, including the lower large parts f which lit within the'groove of the wire, being identical; and in fitting they are slid longitudinally in rela tion to each other until'` they lie truly side f by side within the groove, and vpress upon itsinternal surfaces, and engage it. .In thisV case, the suspending socket la is separate Y Vfrom the plates c, and is formed atritsY lower part with a jaw which fits over the twoV plates at the center, and is connected with.

them by a pin Z, which forms a hinge, about f which the plates are free to rock.; j lt willfbe seen that vin the arrangement -shown in Figs. l to il, tho inside adjacent surfaces of the'plates care oblique to the general vertical plane'of the plates, and the" lmolines are disposed lin opposite directions, j so that the two 4plates constitute wedges, and

when pressed toward lone another, cause them to 'moveon to andengage lirnily, theV inside surfaces of the groove ofthe wire.

Regarding the form of suspending device or ear shownin Figs. 5 to 7, and the mode of fitting and fixing the parts of it which fit within the groove ZJ of. the wire, the sus? ponder or ear proper, has ateach end, a part lying to one'side, roughly, of the general central plane of the ear and each part has a bulb or outwardly projecting part or toe f on its lower edge, of a form corresponding with and adapted to engage with the side 'of the groove vZ) of the wire a.; and on the otherV side there is fitted aV movable wedge piece h with a half bulb g onit, which together with `the projection or half bulb f lills the groove of the wire.

To introduce the suspender into the groove, Ythe wire is fitted over the p arts f first, and then the wedge 4parts 71, are introduced at a point of the groove beyond the parts ,7 in the longitudinal direction, and

then slid along the groove, and so their inner surface comes up against the inner sur' face of the parts f, andso both sides of the grooveareengaged by the suspending dep-jY vice. i in these Figs. 5. to 7, the inner surface of these parts 'f and 7b are inclined as seen in the plan in Fig. 7,7so that theyare wedge shaped; and when theyY are pressed upA against the parts f of the suspender 'out- -ward,they press the two. bulb portions g' and f on to the. interior surface of the'groove I), and engage it firmly. The inclines of the wedges and permanentparts arerarranged so that the wedges in fitting. them, "are pressed outward in the longitudinal direction from the center of the ear;v and the wedges may be made sufficiently long that,'.

whenl home, their ends may be bent over.

In the-constructions described and shown,

where the conductor is made and the groove i formedI by drawing through dies, the groove iscarried or lextends-deeply down into" the conductor say near to, or upto, or slightly. 'beyond its axis, so that it is supported and` held along the axis inthe lhorizontal plane extending through the axis, `or near it.

In the modification shown in Figs. vl2 and 13, the-)plates--e themselves sareranade. thin-v ner and vwhere the vscrew fm/passes through` -l them, 1 they; are fprovidedl with, bossesf .-as shown, anda spacexeXists.betweenithe two plates from a point below'the; screw tozfthe upper edge of this plate,so-thabwhen-the screw fm.: -isscrewed.up,; 4the. tendency is that the two engaging bulbousprojecting .parts-f of the device,- will be canted orirocked outward into `the bulbous .groove/'ofthe wire.

Figs.; 14 and l-whichare :section andplan-show anarrangement where the two parts ,ofv the suspender are# adapted tobe-r rocked-together in securing the wire; In this case, one overhanging Ledgegof,` the groove Z) of the wire forms-a buttress to the back of each rocking partf=or==fdevicez and when; rocked, will forcefthe toeuf lof samer into the roomsyatathe :other side.,-of1athe groove; and :these @two Yparts `arev clamped and -held -Itogether by-rthe f screw m, as. in Figs-,12 and 13, "so that they will Iengagefthe conductor equally, and furnish: an equal :support on each side of the vertical plane, and producea -firmand secure vsuspension and holding f of the :conducto-r. The= left.L lhand or shallower plateapart e inithisf construction, is of short length, and-lies between .the two end portionsxof: the lother andalonger platev which isgapped out atthe centerand lower -parts,':awhere n the.. Vengaging fpart f comes,and so allows ofthe` entry oftheipart. f of the otherplate.`

In the modification shown "in Figs; 216,andf 17,- theawire--hastheA shaped groove, and@l the suspenderdevice:abovethe wire is infone piece ywhile the-part: of it which `fits :withi-n the groove, is split, :and the'twodivided-.portions are pressed apart and into engagement withv the sideshof. the metal'Vv ,forming-.the groovev of thewire, by wedges hof a. .V c shaped cross-section. Orfalternativelyrthe wedges may be put longitudinally,and when pressedup -from..each-xend, will beside-by sida Y ln the modication 4ofFigsfll to? shown in Figs; 20' and 21, which ,arecrosssection 1 and plan, the wire a is of the section given in Fig.` 8 on Sheet 3, the groove being generally of the form ofwtli'e lower :part of. a double-bulb railway rail; and the suspending vplates-e are relatively thick, andthe.` lower outer portions 0 form outer-supporting 'flanges to the overhanging parts ofthe wire, theoutside of ytheplates-being flush. with the outside Vof these partso; and the twoplates-when'moved intov position, are fastened together by a screwfmhw. One of thefplates e in this case is shallow,nand the other one will beextended upward, and provided with a suitable-suspending.socket or device, say similar tonic.

In some cases,-it is"desired-to retain the ears or suspending fittingsjfof the outwardy clamping type" existing overheadfeleotrical. f

traction systems; and'in sucha case, a speciall 1, intermediate .supporting ybar, or means,

adapt-ed to fit, inthe groove or grooves of l theconductor lof the form herein described,

is employed. Such a fitting is illustrated in plan and crosssection in Figs. 18 and 19 in lwhich/fe represents the existing overhead clamping suspending fittings, and p the special intermediate supporting bar, which will preferably be ofthe length of the suspendingfittingsf: This intermediate suspending bar :is made intwo parts, adapted to be placedin vposition by sliding them longitudinally, in the groove of the wire after being separately inserted; and their upper pari;

- will be {providedvwith a bulge or rib, corresponding with the form of the internal gripping portions'ofthe suspended fitting; while the lower parts will be also of bulbous formation, corresponding with the form of the groove of the wire used, namely, similar to the parts f ofthefittings or ears described withreference to the modifications previously referred to; and it will be understood in this connection,that the `formation and manner of attaching the intermediate supporting barwith the wire a may be effected in any-0f the manners above described.

According toa modification illustrated in 'Fig.-22, in perspective, the enlarged mechanicalengaging parts e, f, of the supporting `or suspending device are made up in a plurality of relatively thin pieces of metal, which say are cut or stamped out of a plate, or cast, and `having enlarged engaging parts a f attheir lower ends, which correspond to a larger/degree, or wholly, with the internal enlarged inner portion of the groove of the wireI These stampings or castings can be insertedfinto the internal enlarged portion of the groove of the wire by turning them so that their surfaces are parallel with thc openingA of the groove, and then they can be passeddown into it (they being made say, just less in thickness than the width of the vopening in thegroove); and by turning them around, they will assume the position given in thefigure when they will engage with the groove; and when so inserted and turnedy and-move up together, they can be clamped-or bolted or held together in any suitable way, as for instance by a clamp, or an ear fitting in which their upper ends can be fitted and held. n In this case, as in others, projecting portions as o shown in Figs. 18 and 19, can be provided'on the pieces or plates e, or some of them, which overlap the metal at the mouth of the groove, and serve to reinforce or support this portion of the wire.l In the section of wire given in this Fig. 22, the section of the wire is not truly cylindrical, that is, it is slightly elliptical, having its major axis lying in the horizontal plane.

As regards ther particular forms of grooves iowemployed, and the manner of connecting the conductor with vthe suspending ear ordevice adopted, these will depend in a substantial measure on the requirements of each case, or the conditions of application, such as the size of the conductor and parts, and other special characteristics of the condition of this application. Y

Regarding the different forms of groove used in the conductor, several modifications are shown in Figs. S to v11 indicating the directions in whichv the form of groove may differ, and of which the several modifications are types.

Fig. 8 shows a section of wire having a groove of the form substantially as shown in Figs. l to 7, and others; while the form of ygrooves shown inl Fig. 9 is that of the wire shown in Figs. 16 and 17.

Fig. 10 shows a wire having two grooves wider at'the inner, than their outer part, and adapted to receive the engaging ends or edges of the suspending device of corresponding form. These engaging edges will be introduced into the grooves at parts which willbe parallel or enlarged, so as to permit of being so introduced; or by having the ends of the engaging parts ofl a width so they can be inserted into the narrow outside opening or neck of the grooves,rand forcing their outer engaging surfaces on to the outside surfaces of the grooves, by wedges. Or, the grooves may be of equal width throughout, and when the engaging parts f of the Suspenders are introduced, the parts of the metal forming the outside of the grooves, areV forced over on to the engaging inclined surfaces of the suspending parts.

The wire shown in Fig. l1 has a groove of the type of that in Fig. 13, but with the loverhanging portions in multiple, and having a ribbed overhanging ledge formation. But instead of being angular as shown, they might be of corrugated form or multiple bulbous form.

As above stated, the invention providesl an overhead conductor gear which, while it provides for being readily attached and fitted up when a trolley wheel is used as the collector, it cannot foul the supporting means or ears or device, even when it is very much worn; while the conductor itself is easily manufactured, and presents a more complete and uniform contact surface to the collector, and affords all the admitted known advantages incidental to, or furnished by a round or cylindrical conductor. Furthermore, it is more easily fitted at the frogs and crossings than the ordinary externally grooved conductors, and it is capable of being used in connection with the present fittings, in cases where cylindrical wire or conductors are now used, without material alteration.

While the invention has been mainly described as applied to systemsl in which the conductor is suspended, it may bev applied in cases where suitable, when the conductor is supported vertically from below, or horizontallyfrom the side.' Y What is claimed istl. In electrical conductor supports, the

combinationV of a solid substantially cylindrical wire, with a continuous deep groove, having a relatively-large inside portion; a supporting device having a part which lies within the groove, adapted to'be entered through the-opening of the groove; and

means for holding said part'in engagement with theA groove, adapted also to be entered through the opening of the groove; substantially as set forth. Y

2.- In electrical yconductor supports, theY combination of a solid-substantially cylindrical wire with a continuous deep groove;

a supporting device having a part which lies within-.the groove, adapted to-be entered through-the opening Vof the groove, anda Y drical wire with a continuous deep groove;

a supporting device having a part which lies within the groove, and armeans comprising elongated plates adapted to enter the groove, having their outside surfaces paral.

lel, and wedge shaped on the inside, andY adapted at the part in the groove to engage Y the sides of the same; substantially asset forth.,

4. An overhead electrical conductor adapted to be suspended at intervals, of solid practically cylindrical form, having a deep groove in one side or part of it, extending'Y to about the axis of the conductor,.and aV part within it of greater width than another part at a greater radial distance from the centerof the conductor; substantially as set forth.

5. Electrical conductor supports compris- 'Y ing a conductor of practically cylindrical form, having'a deep groove in one side orv Dart of it, with a relatively *largev inside portion;V and supporting. devices of plate l formfin two parts, the engaging edge .ofl

which is of lessY width than the narrowest part of the groove of the conductor; said plates when suspending the conductor being parallel, side by side, and their lower engaging'edges together practically filling the groove; substantially as setforth.

6. In electrical conductor supports, a substantially cylindrical solid wire with a continuous deep groove; and twin plate readily attachable and detachably suspender devices, spaced at intervals, and thel part of the same, Which lies in the groove, being engaged by the metal of the sides of the groove; substantially as described.

7. In electrical conductor supports, a solid substantially cylindrical conductor having a continuous groove With a relatively large inside portion in one part of the groove; and a suspender device comprising tWo parts, parts of Which mechanically engage With the internal part of the groove, and the mechanical engagement being adapted to be effected by the movement of the tWo parts of the supporting means in relation to each other, substantially as set forth.

8. In electrical conductor supports, a conductor having a groove With interior Walls in one part of it; and a fitting comprising two parts Which are movable relatively to each other, and are mechanically engaged with the interior Walls oi. the groove, the 2o names to this specification in the presence of 25 two subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM MORRIS MORDEY. JOHN WILLIAM ASTLEY. DOUGLAS BRYOE SAUNDERSON. Witnesses to the signature or vWilliam Morris Mordey:

S. J. EARL, D. M. CooDE. `Witnesses to the signatures of John Villiam Astley and Douglas Bryce Saunderson:

SonnnviLLn GooDALL, HARRY KEIGHTLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C, 

